Regina Pats take several WHL Eastern Conference year-end awards

The Western Hockey League is announcing individual award winners from the Eastern and Western Conference today and several Pats are in the running to take home league hardware.

The Eastern Conference player of the year is forward Sam Steel. He had 131 points in 72 games played this season to lead the league in scoring. He will go up against Seattle’s Matt Barzal in the final vote for the WHL player of the year who gets the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy.

Connor Hobbs is the East nominee for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as he has been named Top Defenceman. Hobbs will go up against Seattle defenceman Ethan Bear who comes from the Ochapowace First Nation.

Coach and GM John Paddock is the East nominee for executive of the year, and coach of the year with the West nominee being Mike Johnston of Portland in the coaches category and Kelowna’s Bruce Hamilton in the executive category. The winner of the coach of the year gets the Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy while the executive of the year gets the Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy.

Conference award winners for the WHL’s Scholastic Player of the Year, Humanitarian of the Year, Top Official and Business Award will be announced at a later date.

Steel, Hobbs and Brooks were also named to the Eastern Conference’s 1st all-star team with Zborovskiy named to the 2nd team.

The Pats are getting ready for Game 1 of their first round playoff series against the Calgary Hitmen. That game goes Friday at 7 at the Brandt Centre with Game 2 on Saturday also at 7.

620 CKRM is the official voice of the Regina Pats and will have your playoff action for you as the team looks to capture the WHL championship and represent the league at the Memorial Cup in Windsor, Ontario.